Right:The original
advert.Itsaysitall.
In the second part of ourfeatureonthe BSAGroup’s misadventureinthe
lightweight market,wecome to the nadir–the Ariel3and the NVTRambler.
Words:STEVE WILSONPhotographs:JONATHAN FLEETWOOD
What wasit?
Themoped market wasgrowing in th elate1960s.
Because UK legislationallowed apairofwheelstobe
countedas oneift heywereclose enoughtogether,the
Arie l3could be classed as amoped,with cheaptax
andinsurance,asitwas 50cc-powered and featured
pedallinggear.Theconvenience ofamopedplus
the stability ofathree-wheeler–whatcould possibly
go wrong?
The3’s inventors were athree-man team,among
themGLWallis ofSurbiton.Thedesign’sparty piece
wasthe waythatwhile therear endwasfixed, the
whole frontend couldbetilted round cornerslikea
motorbike.Thepartnerswere contacted by BSAin1967,
and manufacturingrightswerelicensed to SmallHeath,
though Wallis retained thepatents.
BSA’sdesignerswenttoworkonitatUmberslade
Hall, whereitwas known as ‘Trixie,’or‘ the pantomime
hors e.’Thefront and rear sectionswerejoinedbyapivot
on themachineaxis. To this the BSAengineersadded
twin‘Tri-Torque’torsionbars onthesame axis,which
help ed lift thefron tend up again afteracorner,and kept
the machine upright whenparked.ABSA-built power
unit wasbeing developed,butwith time runningout,
managementopted to buyinthe existing 1.7bhpDutch
Anker Laura48cctwo-strok emopedengine.Itf eatured
7.0:1c.r.,flywheelmagneto and alternatorelectrics and,
in the Ariel, fancool ing.
Theunloved
PART
TWO
1970K2Ariel3
44 THE CLASSICMOTORCYCLE|SEPTEMBER 2019
